Carton opener



Jan. 2, 1951 E. c. BURHANS CARTON OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19,1948 FNVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

E. C.. BURHANS Jan. 2, 1951 CARTON OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 19,1948 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED *S TATES -ATENT OFFICE GARTON OPENEREugene. G. Burhans, Lockport, N. Y.

-Application May 19, 1948,ISerial No. 27-,9.20

My invention relates in general to carton'open- :er-for opening theflaps along onesideof a sealed carton-to expose the contents thereof forinspection or for the application of a stamp, and relates especially tomeans for opening a carton of cigarette package's :for the purpose ofexposing the ends of the packages for receiving State tax stamps.

The :pr-incipalobject of myxinvention is to provide a device throughwhich cartons may be fed by hand for the purpose of cutting through theend' walls of thecartcnand breaking the adhesive which holds the flapsin position.

Another object is to provide a device in which the position and angle ofthe :cutting blade may be accurately adjusted.

Another -object is to provide a device which is safe to operate; onedurable in construction; and one inexpensive to manufacture.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the deviceshown in the accom panying drawings, of which:

fig. 1 isa plan view'ofmy device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3-i's an enlarged 'end elevation of the device viewed from thedischarge end thereof; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on lineIV-IV 'ofFig. 1.

While my device may be used in connection with cart'ons of any size orkind',-iin the :accom- :p'anying drawings 1' have shown it as applied tocartons containing packages of cigarettes. O'bv-iously, the device maybe used alone as a cutter, and the severed cartonsmanipulated by hand,for thepui-pose ofstaniping, and rescaling the flaps, orit may be usedin connection with an automatic stampingand sealing machine, :as shownand described "in my nowpending application "Serial Number- 782;80'7,filed October 29, 1947.

The device'compris'es a base 10 which extends preferably the full lengththereof and along the front edge of which is arranged an outer guidewall I I. Extending rearwardly from aipoint substantially mid-way thelength of the base is an inner guide wall I Z. This guide wallis'adjustable and iscarried by twoadjusting'angles l3 and 14, onearranged preferably near each end of the wall and adjustably secured tothe base'byme'ans ofscrews i5 provided with knurled-heads 1 6 and eachpassing through -a:s1ot 28 formed in (each :of the angles.

-As shownin Fig. 3 the :innerrwall l zlisad-iusted in relation to theouter *wall 13 toaccomm'od'ate e carter; 2,14, {shown in dot and dashlines "in 2 Figs. *1 and 2 and in full lines in Fig. 3) for freepassagebetween the walls. The outer guide wall H is preferably reducedin height across that portion which is opposite the inner wall 12thereby forming a recess 22 for the reception of aspi ing guide '23.This guide has its innerend 2-4 offset with relation to the body thereofand is extended across the recess to the outer face of the outer guidewall i! where it securedbyascrew25. The spring-guide extendssubstantially the. full length of the recess 22 and has its outer end 26preferably curved in, shape.

Mounted above the guide walls II and i2, is the cutter plate as of mydevice. This plate is mounted at its front edge upon twospring studs 3.!which pass through suitable aperturesformed 'inthe'plate and which.aresecuredat their lower ends to an anchor block 32. The anchor blockis. preferably secured to the .outer surface of the outer guide wall Ii.Another spring stud 334s arranged near the rear .side of the cutterplate and passes through a suitable aperture .forrned in the rearwardprojection 34 thereof. The bottom end of this stud is secured to ananchor block 35 carried b yth'e base 10 of the device. Each of the springstuds '3"! have a'knurled nut 36 carried on the upper end thereof, andthe spring stud 33 has a knurled nut 46 carried by its upper end.

Arranged about each of the spring studs :3! is a supporting spring ii,and arranged about the spring stud 33 is a supporting spring (2. 'Thesprings 4! have their lower ends bearing against the anchor block 32 andtheir upper ends against the under surfacebz of the cutter plate; andthe spring 32 has its lower end supported by the anchor block 35 and itsupper end bearing against the under suriace of the rearward projection34 of the plate. The cutter plate is provided with a rearwardlyextending arm t3, the under surface 44 thereof being recessed for thereception of the "cutter blade l-:5 of the device. This cutter blade issecured in place within the recess by means of a screw-'46 which passesthrough the cutter "and into the arm and which is provided with aknurled head Eli. As is clearly shown in the drawings, the cutting edge5] of the blade 'is spaced a slight distancebelo'w the under surface '52of the plate substantially 'equalto the thickness of the upper flapiiiof the carton (shown in Fig. 3 by'which arrangement the cutter bladewill be guidedunder th upper flapand between this flap and the lowerflap 5 thereby serving to break the adhesive therebetween. Obviously,

the cutter als'o "passes "through the end wanes:

carried by the studs 3! and 33 so that the cut ting edge 5| of the bladewill pass between the flaps as the carton is fed through the device.When it is' necessary to sharpen or replace the 'knife blade, it is onlynecessary to remove the screw 46.

When the device is to be put into use, the carton 2! will be fed end toend into and through the device. The carton at the right of Fig. 1 isshown in position where its advance end wall :has been severed and wherethe flaps 53 and 54 are being separated. from each other. The firstcarton is being fed into and through the device by means of the secondcarton, whereby the operator is prevented from cutting himself bycontact with the cutting edge of the blade. When the last carton isbeing fed through the device, it will have passed therethroughsuiiiciently to be safely. grasped at the forward end by the operatorand thereby withdrawn from the machine.

'I claim:

1. A cutting device comprising a base, spaced guide walls rising fromsaid base and forming a channel through which cartons having two sealedlongitudinal flaps may be fed, a single cutting blade mounted over oneof said walls and having its cutting edge extending across the channelwith its free end positioned short of the other wall, and means foradjusting the vertical distance between said base and said blade,whereby the seal between said flaps will be broken and only the endwalls will be severed at points adjacent the said flaps.

2. A cutting device comprising a base, spaced guide walls risingfrom'said base and forming a channel through'which cartons having twosealed longitudinal flaps may be fed, a cutter plate mounted above saidwalls and in spaced relation with the top surfaces thereof, a singlecutter blade secured at one end to said plate over one of said walls andhavin its cutting edge extending across said channel with its oppositeend positioned short of the inner surface of the outer wall, and meansfor vertically adjusting the horizontal plane of said cutting edge,whereby the seal between said flaps will be broken and only the endwalls will be severed at points adjacent said flaps. a

V single cutting blade secured at one end to said plate over one of saidwalls and having its cutting edge extending across said channel with itsopposite end positioned short of the inner surface of the other wall,plate studs carried by said base for'passage through apertures formed insaid plate, a spring carried by each of said studs for supporting saidplate, and adjusting nuts carried by said plate studs for tensioningsaid springs and for adjusting the height'of saidblade in re- ]lation tosaid base, whereby the seal between said 4 flaps. will be broken andonly the end be severed at points adjacent said flaps.

4. A cutting device comprising a base, an outer wall fixed to the base,an inner wall adjustably carried by the base and in spaced relation tothe outer wall, a cutter plate disposed over the walls and in spacedrelation to the base, said plate together with the walls and the baseforming a channel through which cartons may be fed, spring means carriedby the outer wall and the base for supporting the plate, and cuttermeans supported by the plate and extending over the channel between thewalls and in spaced relation with the base.

5. A cutting device comprising a base, an outer wall fixed to the base,an inner walladjustably carried by the base and in spaced relation tothe outer wall, a cutter plate disposed over the walls and in spacedrelation to the base, said plate together with the walls and the baseforming a channel through which cartons may be fed, an anchor blocksupported by. the base, studs carried by the block and the base, acutter plate arranged above the walls and formed with apertures wallswill registering with the studs, supporting springs carried by the studsand engaging the bottom surfaced the plate, an adjusting nut carried bythe 7 upper end of each of the studs and engaging the upper surface ofthe plate, and a cutter blade 7 carried by the plate and extending overthe walls.

6. A cutting device comprising a base, an outer wall fixed .to the base,an inner wall adjustably carried by the base and in spaced relation tothe outer wall, a cutter plate disposed over the walls and in spacedrelation to t .e base, said plate I together with the walls and thebaseforming a channel through which cartons may .befed, a'

cutter plate mounted above the walls and in spaced relation with theplate, means for adjustablysupporting the plate, said plate having arearwardly extending arm'formed with a recess, and a cutter bladecarried by the arm and mounted within the recess thereof, the relativethickness of the blade and depth of the recess being such as to'positionthe cutting edge of the V 7 blade a predetermined distance below thelower surface of the plate. V

'7. A cutting device comprising a base,'an outer wall fixed to the base,an inner wall adjustably carried by the base and in spaced relation tothe outer wall, a cutter plate disposed over the walls and in spacedrelation to the base, said plate together with the walls and the baseforming a carried by the studs and engaging the bottom s'ur face of theplate, an adjusting nut carried by the upper end of each of the studsand engaging the upper surface of the plate, said plate having arearwardly extending arm formed with a recess,

and a cutter blade carried by the arm and mountf ed within the recessthereof, the relativethickness of the blade and depth of the recessbeing .such as to position the cutting edge of the blade 7 apredetermineddistance below the lower surface of the plate. 7

8. A cutting device comprising a base, spaced guide walls rising from,said base andforming a channel through which cartons having two sealed.

"longitudinal fiaps' may be "fed, a. cutter plate :mountedabove' thewalls {and in spaced relation with theptop surfaces. thereof, a studcarried by a said plate adjacent one of said walls, a single cutterblade carried by said plate and extending toward the other of saidwalls, said blade having an aperture in one of its ends for mountingupon said stud and permitting angular adjustment of said blade upon saidplate in a horizontal plane, and means for clamping said blade to saidplate in its adjusted position, the outer end of the cutting edge ofsaid blade being spaced from the inner surface of said other wall,whereby the seal between said flaps will be broken and only the endwalls will be severed at points adjacent said flaps.

9. A cutting device comprising a base, spaced guide walls rising fromsaid base and forming a channel through which cartons having two sealedlongitudinal flaps may be fed, a cutter plate mounted above the wallsand in spaced relation with the top surfaces thereof, a stud carried bysaid plate adjacent one of said walls, a single cutter blade carried bysaid plate and extending U toward the other of said walls, said bladehaving an aperture in one of its ends for mounting upon said stud andpermitting angular adjustment of said blade upon said plate in ahorizontal plane,

means for clamping said blade to said plate in its adjusted position,the outer end of the cutting edge of said blade being spaced from theinner surface of said other wall, and means for adjusting said bladevertically, whereby the seal between said flaps will be broken and onlythe end walls will be severed at points adjacent said flaps.

10. A cutting device comprising a base, spaced guide walls rising fromsaid base and forming a channel through which cartons having two sealedlongitudinal flaps may be fed, a cutter plate mounted above the wallsand in spaced relation with the top surfaces thereof, a stud carried bysaid plate adjacent one of said walls, a single cutter blade carried' bysaid plate and extending toward the other of said walls, said bladehaving an aperture in one of its ends for mounting upon said stud andpermitting angular adjustment of said blade upon said plate in ahorizontal plane. means for clamping said blade to said plate in itsadjusted position, the outer end of the cutting edge of said blade beingspaced fromthe inner surface of said other wall, plate studs carried bysaid base for passage through apertures formed in said plate, a;springcarried by each of said studs for supporting said plate, and adjustingnuts carried by fsaid plate studs for tensioning said springs and'f foradjusting the height of said blade in rlation to said base, whereby theseal between said flaps will be broken and only the end walls will besevered at points adjacent said flaps.

EUGENE C. BURHANS.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

